Tag Archives: John the Baptist

“That I might know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings; being conformed to his death.” Philippians 3:10

Between the tree and the rising of the root, the Roman watchmen sleep. An unexpected woman whispers into borderland and mourns the empty womb-tomb. His brethren flee, but she of seven demons alone shall be.

Pouring out an intercession of suffering she cries out her longing to behold. Intentional waiting precedes beholding, and mourning heralds knowing. In the fellowship of his suffering, she must bear the depth of his mercy for the ones who live in his absence. Blinded with anguish, the woman gazes up to heaven, praying for the sacred rain to wash away the sting.

Moved with compassion, He whispers his mercy, “be opened.”

Quietly, He rests in his shadow waiting for her eyes to receive Ephphatha.

The holy spit salve rinses her eyes, and the well woman blinks. Ephphatha opens the beholding of the veiled knowing. Seeing the colour of the red-stained-wombed hands and feet is Ephphatha’s first fruit.

The first to see is the first to hear, and a gendered John the Baptist is called by name.

‘Mary!’

The unexpected apostle sees her beloved in his shadow, and hears his living utterance.

‘Rabboni!’

Her primal heart wants to hold him, but he extends his holy arm. In the shadowed safety of his holy sword, she listens intently to his whispered request.

‘Go Mary, tell the sent ones you have seen me!’

Called by name, the first apostolic commissioning takes place. Courage replaces mourning, and the unexpected apostle obeys.

‘I have beheld him,’ she cries out to the brethren.

‘Nonsense!’

An apostolic dissonance blinds the apostles as they hide in their shadow. Dissonance restrains recognition until the breaking of the bread. Fear wrestles with belief; pride and faith conflict the mind and heart.

Moved with compassion, in communion with the brethren, He whispers his mercy, “be opened.” The scales of dissonance fall from their eyes, and the veiled manna is revealed.

“As the Father sent me, so I send you.”

‘Ephphatha’ opens his red-stained-wombs, and the living word unfolds in the two-fold gift of mercy and revelation. In unity with the three, the Apostola Apostorum and the Apostolic Sent Ones receive the storm of his breath to go…so that all might know.

The tree lies bare and the womb-tomb empty, but in the tender shadow of borderland lingers Ephphatha.

“Ears that hear and eyes that see – the Lord has made them both.” Proverbs 12:20